Blogs We Love: Feminist Frequency

To continue the "Blogs We Love" thread I'd like to introduce one of my new finds, Feminist Frequency and it's accompanying YouTube channel.  Led by media critic Anita Sarkeesian, this site presents "a video webseries that explores the representations of women in pop culture narratives."

Well researched and well presented, the "Tropes vs Women" video series focuses particularly on video games and traditional media.  Videos exploring recurring "stories, themes and representations of women in Hollywood films and TV shows" include:

1. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl
2. Women in Refrigerators
3. The Smurfette Principle
4. The Evil Demon Seductress
5. The Mystical Pregnancy
6. The Straw Feminist

Video game related topics have included:

• Damsel in Distress (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Ms. Male Character
• Women as Background Decoration (currently Part 1).

Sarkeesian does a wonderful job presenting well balanced and well organized evidence for each "trope" gathered from both media sources and academic research.  I found the identification and naming of specific "tropes" to be an empowering approach as it ultimately offers targeted avenues for change.

The site also links to Ms. Sarkeesian's TEDxWomen talk regarding online harassment, a variety of other videos, and lists of games, TV shows, novels & comics, films, blogs, nonfiction books, etc. that might be of interest.  It's definitely worth checking out!

Article Hit List: Depictions of Women in the Media

My brain is on vacation this month so here are a few stories that caught my eye over the past few months.  They're all loosely related to depictions of women in the media.

A. Entrepreneur Barbie

Mattel recently unveiled "Entrepreneur Barbie," described as follows:

"Entering the entrepreneurial world, this independent professional is ready for the next big pitch. Barbie Entrepreneur doll wears a sophisticated dress in signature pink that features modern color blocking and a sleek silhouette. Her "smartphone," tablet and briefcase are always by her side. And luxe details, like a glam necklace, cool clutch and elegant hairstyle, are awesome extras for a smart, stylish career woman. Includes dressed-for-business Barbie doll and stylish accessories: clutch, briefcase, tablet, and smartphone."

This just looks like a professional woman to me, but apparently children need a doll to believe they can be professional women. . .

B. Empowering Stock Images

Blogs We Love: TYCI

Hi all,

Sorry I've been slacking on posts recently. Full time job + night classes + life = a lot.

I thought it would be cool to start a new ongoing thread about other awesome feminist blogs that we find on the interwebs (or elsewhere!).

I recently stumbled across TYCI on Soundcloud (via my Lauren Mayberry and CHVRCHES related feeds) and was excited to discover that they not only have an awesome self-produced monthly podcast but also a blog, zine, radio show, and cool events (sadly in the UK) that help raise money for different charities that support women.

Here is what they say about themselves on their website:

"TYCI is a collective run by women.

On this website, we explore and celebrate all things femme, providing an open forum for discussion and a place to share ideas and make connections. We write about things which affect us and put together features on art, theatre, music, film, politics, current affairs and most things in between."

It's been so refreshing to listen to commentary about female artists that actually has to do with their talent and musical ability rather than their appearance and/or who they're dating.

You should definitely check them out!

Check out truth-speaking illustrations by artist Carol Rossetti

Have you seen these illustrations about women and their stories about their bodies.  Brazilian artist Carol Rossetti manages to capture the reality of the way women's bodies are objectified and used to oppress them . . . but she also manages to craft the perfect confidence-inspiring comeback to all those instances of negativity.  Looking through the images you can't help but feel hopeful and strong.

Your freedom has no expiration date!

From article on mic.com.
Check out a complete album of the artwork at Rossetti's facebook page.

Article Suggestion: The Princess Effect

This article from Politico has been going around a bit lately.  I just took the time read it in full.

Similar (and much more sophisticated) to my complaints about profiles of artists in magazines, it delves into the complex reasons while profiles of female politicians done by women's magazines contribute to the problem of misogyny and prejudice against women in politics.

It provides a lot of great, concrete examples and touches on both the large and small consequences of the treatment of these women in these publications.  It also articulates some great insights into the mechanisms of media that harm the status of women in politics, leaderships, and in image-making in general.

One of my favorite insights from the article:

Things are “just sort of supposed to happen” to powerful women—good things, determined by fortuity instead of fortitude. For women in politics, whose responsibilities extend to a public constituency, passivity is a hard pose to hold. Politicians are supposed to make things happen – not only for themselves, but for others. But women in politics are profiled like Disney princesses: vaguely appointed, lavishly decked out in gowns, smiling, packaged and sold.

I appreciate the way this succinctly describes the conundrum women who are public figures experience.  And although, the article does not delve into this issue explicitly, it also nods to the compounding effect American consumerism contributes to the situation.  A large part of the "Princess Effect" finds its origins in our consumerist economy's need to reinforce the consumerist habits of its citizenry.

Another strong part of the piece: